She stole the blush from the rose

After you’ve lived in a city for a while, it can be tempting to avoid the crushing crowds that fill the city during the biggest tourist draws like Independence Day, political rallies and marches, inaugurations, all the museums during the summer months, and, of course, the cherry blossom festival. And yet, I’ve found the cherry blossoms themselves to be an irresistible temptation. Without fail, every year I find myself down by the Potomac or the Tidal Basin. The luscious pink and white blossoms are just so lovely, and you can’t help but feel lucky to have the chance to see them.

Most of my friends have developed strategies for seeing the blossoms while avoiding the crowds. Some find remote patches of trees, others take boats out on the water. I prefer early morning or late afternoon visits. Preferably on a weekday. One lucky year, it drizzled, and my roommate and I practically had the place to ourselves.